I realize you may or may not hate me for posting about wine first thing Monday mornings but I personally can't think of a better way to kick off the week. Nothing puts me in a better mood than the promise of a glass of wine later when I'm sipping the first coffee of the day. Don't you agree? Besides, it's Monday. If we take this awful day too seriously, the misery just won't end. Instead, let's sip like it's Thursday! I think that's a fabulous idea. This week, I have a very sweet and fruity red for you to pair with a dramedy. Ladies, you may have heard of a movie from back in the 90s called The First Wives Club starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton. Let me start by saying these three women are phenomenal actresses and I really think they should get together for another film. This pairing couldn't have been better had I planned it, which I did not to be honest.

For all of you young-ins that have not branched your film knowledge out to the mid-90s, The First Wives Club is about these three women who used to be great friends in college. There were originally four of them but the death of one brings the remaining three back together. I won't get into too much detail but, in short, they bring each other up to date on their lives to find out they aren't nearly as good as they pretend to be. Their marriages are falling apart, their lives are not where they'd like them to be and everything is not fine. After this catch-up, we follow them on their journey to get back at their husbands for being complete jerks and find their gumption, something they lost a long time ago. There is a sad element to it because of the death of their friend Cynthia. There's also the revenge factor which is what inspired us to pair this with red. The comedy though, and it's freaking hilarious, called for something a little lighter. Therefore, a sweet, light red was the perfect compliment.

St. Julian Winery's Red Heron Semi-Sweet Michigan Red wine was a gift to my aunt from a friend. I literally walked up to our small wine rack, pulled this one out and thought, why not. The perfection of this pairing did not come to me until I was uncapping the bottle. The website says, "The deep red color, fresh grape aroma, and unforgettable flavor are at their best thanks to Michigan's cool climate. Big, rich and powerful cherry, grape jam and candied fruit aromas run through the strawberry and lemon drop flavors. Hints of guava dance in the background. the crisp acidity nicely balances the semi-sweet, refreshingly tart finish. Enjoy this softly sweet, lightly fruity, easy-drinking wine - chilled, on the rocks or with a splash of soda. Red Heron is the wine for all occasions."

This was definitely a sweet wine. It reminded me faintly of Red Moscato which I do enjoy. When you swish the wine in the glass, it's very obvious there is a ton of sugar in this bottle and it's confirmed as soon as you take a sip. I personally loved this wine. It's great as a treat after dinner and it really was the perfect varietal to pair with this movie. You can smell cherries from the wine but you taste the strawberry and guava which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. This would work really well to make a spritzer and the carbonation would lighten the flavors a bit more depending what other ingredients you were to use. This is also an incredibly affordable wine. This was the first I've heard of this particular brand and winery but after browsing their site, I'd like to look more into them because they offer a whole variety of products.

In addition to the movie, I also wanted to briefly touch on the musical. I bet you didn't see that coming! Two weekends ago, I had the chance to see The First Wives Club on Broadway here in Chicago. My Noni and I made a night of it, had dinner at The Walnut Room and dessert at Magnolia Bakery (YUM) before seeing the show. I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew Carmen Cusack was one of the main stars of the show and I loved her as Elphaba in Wicked. The show was unexpectedly really good. I loved the music, the performances were incredible and the emotion was real. The three women who played Elise, Brenda and Annie were great to step in those shoes but the woman who played Cynthia completely blew me out of the water. Her voice and her performance during her solos was absolutely phenomenal. My stomach got flutters, I got goosebumps all over my body and I literally would hold my breath without realizing. Overall, the show was really, really good. I encourage you to give it a shot and see it while it's still in Chicago. You can get details on my events page.

Now that I've written you a five-paragraph essay, I'll let you get back to your day. This was one of my lengthier Wine & Movie Pairing posts because I genuinely loved the movie and wine and there was also a Broadway review slipped in. What did you think? Have you heard of St. Julian before? Are you a fan of their wines? How about The First Wives Club? Have you seen the movie or musical?